Tuzkol
Тұзкөл
View of the lake
Tuzkol
Location	Kegen Depression
Coordinates	43°00′N 79°58′E / 43.000°N 79.967°E / 43.000; 79.967
Type	salt lake
Basin countries	Kazakhstan
Max. length	5.7 kilometers (3.5 mi)
Max. width	2.1 kilometers (1.3 mi)
Surface area	6.6 square kilometers (2.5 sq mi)
Max. depth	3 meters (9.8 ft)
Residence time	UTC+6
Shore length1	16.6 kilometers (10.3 mi)
Surface elevation	1,959 meters (6,427 ft)
Islands	1
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Tuzkol (Kazakh: Тұзкөл) is a high-altitude salt lake in Raiymbek District, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan.^[1]

The lake lies 70 kilometers (43 mi) east of Kegen, near the road to Narynkol. The nearest village is Karasaz, 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) to the WNW.^[2]

Geography

Tuzkol is a lake located at 1,959 meters (6,427 ft) in the upper course of the Charyn river in southeastern Kazakhstan. It lies in the intermontane basin of the Eltchin-Buyryuk and Karatau ranges, north of the Tien Shan. The lake is shallow and its water is bittern salty, with a concentration that can become very high in certain seasons owing to high evaporation.^[3]

The lakeshore is flat and marshy and the bottom of the lake is muddy. The surrounding fields are a local livestock grazing area following the melting of the snows.^[2][4]

Flora and fauna

In some stretches reeds grow along the lakeshore. Tuzkol is a 3,194 hectares (7,890 acres) Important Bird Area for the breeding, migrating and wintering of a number of water bird species, including the ruddy shelduck and the common crane.^[5][6]